Changing Families as European Societies Age

Abstract

The trends towards falling fertility and mortality and increasing longevity, which have led to the demographic ageing of all Western industrialized societies, have not occurred in isolation. More specifically, we are also seeing a combination of forces which are resulting in the ageing of some life-transitions. While public and legal institutions may be lowering the age threshold into full legal adulthood, individuals themselves are choosing to delay many of those transitions which demonstrate a commitment to full adulthood. This shift from a high-mortality/high-fertility society to a low-mortality/low-fertility society and the ageing of family transitions within these societies have significant implications for both family structure and kinship roles. Drawing on recent demographic figures for the European Union, this paper highlights the impact of these main trends on individuals and families.

Grandmothers as Replacement Parents and Partners: The Role of Grandmotherhood in Single Parent Families

“…Most surveys also report a relatively high degree of contact between grandparents and grandchildren, with average physical contact occurring at least once a month, supplemented by other forms of communication (Age Concern, 1997, 1998Arthur, Snape, & Dench, 2003;Dench et al, 1999;Leeson, 2004;Harper, 2003Smith, 1995). Leeson (2004) reports from a longitudinal Danish study that contact between the generations has both increased and intensified in the past decade.…”

Challenges in moving from macro to micro: Population and family structures in ageing societies

“…People in their fifties are quite likely to be part of four-generational structures, as they may still have at least one parent living, while most of their children are old enough to have produced grandchildren. According to Harper (2003), who refers to Soldo and Hill, more than half of the respondents are part of family structures with at least four generations. However, this is only partially true, since Harper's figures are based on married respondents only.…”

“…Although it has been claimed that families with four or five generations are becoming more and more common (e.g., Bengtson, Rosenthal, and Burton 1990;Bengtson et al 2003;Harper 2003;Véron, Pennec, and Légaré 2007), the reality is that we do not know to what extent this conclusion is accurate, and for whom. In fact, according to Uhlenberg (1993), no estimate exists to back up the claim.…”

“…Among both researchers and policy makers, assumptions are made about how population ageing has altered generational ties at the family level. Most commonly, it is argued that increased life expectancy alters the generational structure of families (e.g., Bengtson, Rosenthal, and Burton 1990;Harper 2003;Véron, Pennec, and Légaré 2007) and that declining fertility means fewer children to care for older parents (e.g., Clarke 1995;Daatland and Herlofson 2003; European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 1995;Monk 1983;Morrison 1990;Pickard 2002;Tennstedt, Crawford, and McKinley 1992). In this article, we highlight the complexities of issues involved to increase awareness of challenges and potential pitfalls in moving from considerations of population ageing on a macro level to implications for family structures on a micro level.…”

Promesa extinguida o promesa en estado de fluido: continuidades y discontinuidades de los adultos mayores hoy

“…Los dos buscan algo dentro de una alianza de crecimiento y cambio conjunto. En este sentido no hay familias multi-generacionales, sino intersección de relacionamientos generacionales (Bengtson, 2001;Harper, 2003).…”